Rampaging elephants destroying cocoa farms

Some Cocoa Farmers at Assin Seriboukrom and Aboabo camp in the Assin South District of the Central Region are expressing concern about rampaging elephants destroying their cocoa farms.

The farmers say they sometimes have to risk their lives by confronting the elephants with sticks. The elephants are said to be from the Kakum Forest and feed on and destroy cocoa farms in the area.

They want government as well as the Game and Wildlife Department to act or they’ll have to gun down the animals to save their farms.

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One resident told Joy News they won't sit down for the elephant to destroy the cash crops which are nearing a level where they are to enjoy the fruit of their labour.

'It is very sad for the crops to be eaten by the elephants when we rely on this to take care of our family, pay school fees and pay other bills.

'We are ready to fight with the wildlife people and kill the elephant to protect our living if government does not intervene. Government can kill us if wants after we have killed the animals because we have our livelihood to protect,' an angry farmer said.

Another farmer said they have looked for guns to kills the elephants but their respect for the laws of Ghana is the only thing that is restraining them whenever their farm is destroyed.

However, the aggrieved mother of three said the destruction is one too many for them to keep ignoring. She said she struggles to survive by growing other crops like plantain and cassava alongside the cocoa but all get eaten by the elephants.

'Even though I am a woman, I would go and get my gun to come and shoot the animals to prevent them from causing me misery all the time,' the emotional farmer said.

According to the farmers, the Wildlife authorities have said, the elephants were in the forest before they [farmers] started farming and so there is no compensation for them.